Kolkata religious admire diocesan priests

(May 1, 2010) Religious brothers and sisters in eastern India’s Kolkata city recently organized a programme as part of the ongoing Year for Priests to express appreciation for diocesan priests for their hard work. “We want to tell you that we are proud of you,” Franciscan Sister Celine Xavier, vice-president of the Conference of Religious India’s Kolkata unit told the gathering of about 400 men and women Religious to honour about 80 diocesan priests on Thursday. Sister Xavier said the nuns appreciate the priests’ “life witness” and readiness to sacrifice their rest for people who need their assistance. “We marvel at the energy you possess when at odd hours you are called upon to attend the dying, even in places difficult to reach, or at times even dangerous to travel,” she said. Archbishop Lucas Sirkar of Calcutta told UCA News that he admired diocesan priests for openly confiding in him their joys, sorrows, problems, difficulties and challenges